Classic form of Islamic art

THE ART OF TUGRA

Tugra is most original and most fascinating form of Ottoman’s calligraphic art. Apart from the fact that it is an official signature and seal of Sultan, tugra is the fine arts sign.

It is well developed calligraphic concept of writing names with strong artistic and symbolic meaning. As far as it is known, no other ruler’s house didn’t have such aesthetic way of „official signature”, and with time, it became the sublime expression of caligraphic skill, developing very complex composition solution. Apart that it was a signature, tugra represented a symbol of power and supreme authority.

Tugra was still described as „bright tugra”, „sultan’s tugra”, „sublime sign” or „sublime honorable sign”. We find this signature on documents, berats and fermans. Berats were orders related to some approval, placing on function, allocating of property, and they regulated socio-political and economic relations. Further, fermans were diplomatic documents. Besides the paper, tugras can be found in the form of tarih on more important and other buildings. Thus, for instance, the whole cycle of brilliantly performed tugras in stone, we see in Topkapi palace in Istanbul.

The first tugra was written during the rule of sultan Orhan, the son of sultan osman, the founder of dynasty. At that time, tugra tugra still didn’t have its full formation, as we see in later periods. Its recognizible shape, tugra obtains in 16th century. However, it will be developed later and in the 19th century, tugra will get its definite aesthetic shape. In that period, tugra is not only used as sultan’s sign, but as a spread calligraphic composition of various textual meaning.

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